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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/25789456">Cut Fragments (of our hearts)</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/amixii10/pseuds/amixii10'>amixii10</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Angst [2]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Avatar: The Last Airbender</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Angst, Cutting, Depression, Gen, Hurt, Hurt No Comfort, Implied/Referenced Self-Harm, Literally this is just angst, Lots of Crying, Suicide, no beta we die like men</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-08-08</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-08-08</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-05 08:53:35</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Major Character Death</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>1,068</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/25789456</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/amixii10/pseuds/amixii10</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>They wished they had known. </p><p>Because then, she would be standing by their side.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Aang &amp; Toph Beifong, Toph Beifong &amp; Katara, Toph Beifong &amp; Sokka, Toph Beifong &amp; Suki, Toph Beifong &amp; The Gaang, Toph Beifong &amp; Zuko</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Angst [2]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/1997677</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>14</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>55</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Cut Fragments (of our hearts)</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>would it be mean of me to say that I enjoyed hurting these poor children</p><p>cuz I did</p><p>(but I also wanted to cry)</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>“Happy birthday, Toph!” the Gaang screams, entering the blind woman’s house.</p><p>No response.</p><p>“Toph? We got food,” Sokka calls.</p><p>The silence is stifling.</p><p>“Let’s split up and look for her,” Zuko says, starting to get concerned.</p><p>They nod, and Zuko searches in her bedroom. He doesn’t see her, but then he goes into the bathroom. He sees her laying on the floor. </p><p>“Toph?” he asks desperately as he sinks to his knees, trying to shake her awake. He turns her, and he sees her wrists bleeding out, the blood clotting. </p><p>“Toph?” he asks again, his voice louder than before. The others hear him, and he can hear them coming towards him. </p><p>“No, Toph, come on,” he says, shaking her. Katara pushes Zuko out of the way. </p><p>“Let me check her pulse.” Zuko nods, and she presses two of her fingers to her neck since her wrists were too cut up to touch without fear of more bleeding. </p><p>She moves her fingers more, trying not to panic. “Toph!” she says, frantic. </p><p>No response. Sokka rummages through the medical cabinet, searching for bandages. He tosses them to Katara the second he finds them. She works quickly, and bandages both of her wrists in seconds. </p><p>“Aang, call the hospital.” He whips out Katara’s phone since he was carrying both of them.  </p><p>“Hello? We have a medical emergency. Our friend is unconscious and her wrists are bleeding out. She’s not responding.” </p><p>The bandages slowly turn red. </p><p>“We just got here. We don’t know how long she’s been bleeding out.” </p><p>Sokka feels a tear run down his face- he couldn’t lose someone else. Not after his mother. </p><p>Zuko tries to keep himself from throwing up. He was already hyperventilating. His mother hung herself when he was thirteen. It had taken him so long to get better after her, but now someone else? </p><p>Suki feels her throat go dry, and she holds herself together. She couldn’t afford to fall apart. </p><p>Katara tries to keep a level head. She was their resident doctor, she had to figure out how to save Toph. There was still time. Judging by the amount of blood on the floor, she had been cut less than thirty minutes ago. (She refuses to believe that Toph would kill herself- the thought makes her eyes wet.) </p><p>Aang has no time to panic. “Yes, we’re here, in Toph Beifong’s house. Please come soon.” </p><p>The ambulance arrives less than five minutes later. Katara rides in the ambulance with Toph,  while Aang, Zuko, Sokka, and Suki ride in her car.</p><p>They reach the hospital in record time. Katara goes inside the room to try and help the other doctors. </p><p>It turns out that they were too late. </p><p>(The funeral would be held next week.) </p><p>Katara weeps, and Sokka, Zuko, Suki, and Aang hold her while they do, too. They never saw the signs, they never realized. They could have helped her, could have saved her from her fate, and if they were better friends, she would be standing by their side, laughing with them. </p><p>She would stand with them, and they wouldn’t be crying at her funeral right now. </p><p>She would stand with them, and they would hear her voice again. </p><p>They go back to Toph’s house the day after the funeral to clear out her house, and they hope to find a note explaining everything. They find her phone instead. </p><p>They open it, and they find it opened to the voice memos app. The most recent recordings are titles with their names on them. Zuko feels a tear escape. </p><p>“Let’s listen to them together,” Sokka suggests. </p><p>The rest nod. </p><p>They open Sokka’s first. “Hey, Sokka. Just wanted to make a couple of voice recordings before I leave. I just want you to know that even despite all of our fighting and bickering, you’re like the big brother I never had. You’re a great guy, even if I make fun of you sometimes. You’re pretty awesome, and I don’t want you to think that I’m leaving because of you, because you were always there for me.” </p><p>Then comes Zuko’s. “Hey there, Sparky. You’re pretty cool, too. Respect to you. I really like you, and that’s on blind buddies. But dude, you’ve been through so much, and my only regret is that I wasn’t around when you needed help, and I wish I could’ve been there for you. You don’t deserve anyone to hurt you anymore, and here I am, going to leave all of you… I’m sorry that I’m hurting you. I hope you remember me well.” </p><p>Zuko feels a tear roll down his face. </p><p>Katara presses hers. “Katara! You’re awesome, you do you, okay? Don’t let this affect you, alright? You’re cool and smart and strong. I know what you’re thinking- ‘I could’ve helped her’ or something. But no, you’re one of the reasons I’d held on for so long. You’re always there for me, and Katara, let me just say: this is NOT your fault.” </p><p>Katara shakes silently, and Zuko and Sokka hold her. </p><p>Aang takes the phone and presses his recording. “Yo, Twinkle Toes! You might not be as cool as Zuzu or Snoozles, but you’re a great guy. I just wanna tell you, you’re real funny and I like your jokes- you’re nice, keep going. And like I told Katara- I am not your responsibility or fault. You’re awesome, alright?” </p><p>Aang feels the tears well up as he passes the phone to Suki. </p><p>“And Suki. I’ve known you for not that long, but let me tell you- you’re pretty badass. I wish I could be as cool as you. I hope you just know that you can change the world, and I hope you don’t let this hold you back.” </p><p>There’s one last recording, and it’s addressed to all of them. </p><p>“Hey guys. This might be the last time you hear me- or the last thing I’ll say. I love you guys more than I ever loved my family. I hope you remember me, and I don't want you to blame yourselves. There was nothing you could have done. Thanks for all the memories.” </p><p>They huddle together, and cry again. It feels like there’s an ocean of tears, and their eyes are a mere stream. </p><p>They wished they had known. </p><p>They wished they could have been there for her while she fell apart trying to piece the rest of them together.</p>
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